Evolution, mechanisms, and applications of intein-mediated protein splicing

Intein-mediated protein splicing raises questions and creates opportunities in many scientific areas. Evolutionary biologists question whether inteins are primordial enzymes or simply selfish elements, whereas biochemists seek to understand how inteins work. Synthetic chemists exploit inteins in the semisynthesis of proteins with or without nonribosomal modifications, whereas biotechnologists use modified inteins in an ever increasing variety of applications. The four minireviews in this series explore these themes. The first minireview focuses on the evolution and biological function of inteins, whereas the second describes the mechanisms that underlie the remarkable ability of inteins to perform complex sets of choreographed enzymatic reactions. The third explores the relationship between the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of inteins and their biochemical capabilities. The fourth describes intein applications that have moved beyond simple technology development to utilizing inteins in more sophisticated applications, such as biosensors for identifying ligands of human hormone receptors or improved methods of biofuel and plant-based sugar production.